List of sovereign states
Lists of nations|non-sovereign dependencies|Dependent territory}} This is a list of sovereign states giving an overview of states around the world with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. The list contains 204 entries, . The states are divided using two distinct methods: # The membership within the United Nations system column divides the states into three categories: 193 member states of the United Nations, two states that are not UN member states but are either a UN observer state or a member state of a UN specialised agency, and nine other states. # The sovereignty disputes column divides the states into two categories: 13 states whose sovereignty is disputed and 191 other states. Compiling a list such as this can be a difficult and controversial process, as there is no definition that is binding on all the members of the community of nations concerning the criteria for statehood. For more information on the criteria used to determine the contents of this list, please see the "criteria for inclusion" section below. List of states Criteria for inclusion The dominant customary international law standard of statehood is the declarative theory of statehood that defines the state as a person of international law if it "possesses the following qualifications: (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; © government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states." Debate exists on the degree to which recognition should be included as a criterion of statehood. The declarative theory of statehood, an example of which can be found in the Montevideo Convention, argues that statehood is purely objective and recognition of a state by other states is irrelevant. On the other end of the spectrum, the constitutive theory of statehood defines a state as a person under international law only if it is recognized as sovereign by other states. For the purposes of this list, included are all states that either: * (a) have declared independence and are often regarded as having control over a permanently populated territory or * (b) are recognized as a sovereign state by at least one other sovereign state Note that in some cases there is a divergence of opinion over the interpretation of the first point, and whether an entity satisfies it is disputed. On the basis of the above criteria, this list includes the following 204 entities:The following bullets are grouped according to the availability of sources for the two criteria ((a) and/or (b)). This arrangement is not intended to reflect the relative importance of the two theories. Additional details are discussed in the state's individual entries.The non-state sovereign entity Order of Malta is not included. It claims neither statehood nor any territory. Entities considered to be micronations are not included. It is often up to debate whether a micronation truly controls its claimed territory. Also omitted from this list are all uncontacted peoples, either who live in societies that cannot be defined as states or whose statuses as such are not definitively known. * 201 States recognized by at least one UN member state * Two states that control a permanently populated territory and are recognized only by non-UN member states: Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Transnistria * One state that controls a permanently populated territory and is not recognized by any other state: Somaliland See also * Sovereign state * List of international rankings * List of micronations * List of sovereign states by formation date * Lists of sovereign states by year * Table of administrative divisions by country * Template:Clickable world map * Terra nullius Notes References Bibliography * * * * * * * * * * τ *Sovereign states Sovereign states